What is it about Santa pictures?

So Christmas is over and it's time to start downloading and checking out everyone's holiday photos. And inevitably there are several pictures of children sitting on Santa's lap.

My daughter actually did pretty good. This was the first year that I attempted to get her to sit with Ol' Saint Nick. Luckily, I took her to a tree lighting where the line had maybe ten people in it. I didn't have to wait long to feel the death grip she gave me as I started walking toward the bearded man and his belly full of jelly.

She didn't really cry, but instead didn't want me to leave her. So we have a picture in our year-end photo book of me (with my big cheese-grin) and my daughter giving me a look that says "Don't you dare leave me!"

But as we were visiting my parents over Christmas, my mom decided to take my nieces, nephew and daughter to the mall and take a pic with Santa. I told her beforehand that there was no way my daughter would sit by herself on Santa's lap. And she doesn't give two winks if her cousins are there. She is truly freaked out by Santa.

And it happened as I said it would. My daughter death-gripped my mother and good old grandma had to sit in on the picture. But my daughter smiled beautifully and the picture is definitely a keeper.

I tell you this story because I have been perusing online pictures of Santa "tantrums". You know the ones where kids are literally screaming and crying and reaching out for their parents, who are mostly likely sitting on the sidelines, giggling.

What do parents get out of subjecting their children to this obviously terrifying encounter? Do they think it is a right of passage?

I'm not saying I don't smirk and laugh at some of the pictures, but I really can't imagine letting MY daughter get hysterical just so I have a picture of her with Santa Claus.

So what do you think? Is it sadistic to subject your offspring to a frightening meet-and-greet or do you think it's harmless holiday fun?

Should you leash your child?

So I was dropping my one and a half year old daughter off at a friend's house before work. As I pulled her out of her car seat, she looked up at me and said "I knock on the door." I often let her walk from my car to the front door, since she really gets a kick out of it. But today was a bit different.

Today, my friend's car was also in the driveway, so I had to park a little further down. I watched my daughter walk towards the house, but then turned around and grabbed her diaper bag and car seat. When I turned back around, I saw my friend had the front door open. But she was looking at me...not down towards the ground. "Is she there?" I asked. "No." Immediately I hear a car in the distance and briefly panic. I call my daughter's name and run up the driveway to look quickly in front of my friend's car. There she is, safe and sound, pointing at some dirt on the driveway.

I mention this story because I was reading an article about a toddler who drowned in a fountain at a San Francisco hotel. The toddler apparently wandered off. The question was raised on whether putting a "leash" on a toddler could have prevented this tragedy.
I am not saying that I would put a leash on my child to walk from my car to the house. But I couldn't help but make the connection between the brief seconds I had taken my eyes off of my daughter and her ability to "disappear".

Before my daughter, I laughed at people who put leashes on their kids and swore I would NEVER do that. And while I still have not beelined to Babies R Us for one, the idea of a "leash" doesn't seem so bad now that I actually have a child of my own.

And I only have one! What happens when number two comes along?

Kids are quick and focusing on one child means your eyes are not on the other. So I am re-thinking my previous ban on "leashes". Maybe I'll buy one of those cute animal backpacks where the tail is the "leash". (And I can't wait to hear what my husband would say if I buy one.)

So what do you think? To leash or not to leash...that is the question. Until next time....